The latest book by McGeorge alumnus, Gordian Hasselblatt, LL.M. ’95, Community Design Regulation: An Article by Article Commentary, has been named the Best Book on Design Law in 2020 by IPKat, the world’s most popular Intellectual Property Law blog. Hasseblatt is a partner in the Cologne office of CMS Hasche Sigle and Professor of Intellectual Property Law in Germany and the United States with more than a dozen publications to his name.

This honor is a significant one. “The IPKat awards are prestigious and highly regarded,” said Hasselblatt. “I feel privileged and honored that the 2^nd edition of my commentary on the Community Design Regulation was chosen as the best ‘Design Law Book of the Year 2020.’ This award shows that all the efforts of the entire team of co-authors were well worth it.”

Professor Hasselblatt is a highly regarded expert in trademark clearance for product launches at an international level and the management of large trademark and design portfolios. In addition to his work at CMS Hasche Sigle, he also teaches Intellectual Property Law at McGeorge and is a Professor of International Design Law at Chicago-Kent College of Law.

Professor Hasselblatt’s interest in intellectual property has grown throughout his career.

“When I started my career in the early 90’s, it was already apparent that we live in a fast-paced, complex and ever-changing world where intellectual creativity has no boundaries. I soon realized that in a world where people’s access to the internet was growing, and where new technologies such as artificial intelligence, nanotechnology, and robotics were already visible dots on the horizon that the true assets of the most successful businesses would be in intellectual property.” Hasselblatt said. “Understanding that the ‘intellectual crown jewels’ were tantamount to commercial success, I wanted to help businesses to effectively and securely protect these assets against any sort of coattail riding.”

Hasselblatt’s passion for the subject shines through in his work and writings, which has led to him earning many awards. In addition to the recent IPKat honor, his most recent distinctions include being named Global 100’s Global Trademark Law Lawyer of the Year 2019, and making multiple top 100 lists in 2019 and 2020. He credits much of his success to his education at McGeorge.

“The courses were high quality and specifically designed for cross-border transactions. This was the perfect preparation for practicing law in the international arena. As if that wasn’t benefit enough, as an LL.M. student, I was able to make friends from all over the world and build my professional network at the same time.”

If you are interested in a similar career trajectory, or learning more about the intersections of intellectual property law and international business, please learn more about our LL.M. programs at McGeorge. You can also learn more about the accomplishments of other McGeorge alumni here.